A deliciously moist dessert with blackberry coulis, sponge cake, honey mousse, and saffron crème brûlée. All glazed with white chocolate. Inspired by Nadege Bakery's La Mancha cake.
Ingredients
For the (saffron) crème brûlée:
225g whipping cream
240g milk
Pinch saffron (optional, if you like saffron)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
120g egg yolks
120g sugar
For the sponge cake:
190g sugar
150g cake flour
10g baking powder
75g oil
250g eggs
100g milk
For the blackberry coulis:
200g frozen blackberries
50g water
25g sugar
For the honey simple syrup (prepare immediately before using):
7g gelatin
15g + 60g cold water
150g honey
For the honey mousse (prepare immediately before using):
210g cream
75g honey simple syrup (rest is for soaking sponge cake)
For the white chocolate mirror glaze (prepare immediately before using):
5g gelatin
40g cold water
225g whipping cream
275g melted white chocolate
30g oil
Method
Prepare the saffron crème brûlée:
Line a 9’’ round baking pan (or a similarly sized square baking pan) with tinfoil. Be sure to completely cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Then, place the baking pan into a larger pan with high sides.
Combine the cream, milk, saffron, and split and scraped vanilla bean in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, remove from the range, cover, and let stand undistributed for 15 minutes to infuse.
Whip the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until combined.
Bring the cream mixture to a simmer once more, and slowly pour into the bowl with the egg yolks and sugar while whisking rapidly.
Pour the crème brûlée mixture into the tinfoil-lined pan and place in an oven preheated to 300°F (150°C). Pour water into the outer pan with the high sides. This will help regulate the temperature of the crème brûlée in the inner pan while baking. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the crème brûlée is slightly jiggly when the edge of the pan is tapped.
Remove from the oven, cool to room temperature, and transfer (in the tinfoil-lined pan) into the freezer.
Prepare the sponge cake:
Whisk together the sugar, cake flour, baking powder, oil, and eggs for 6 minutes on high with a stand mixer.
Add the milk and whisk for 2 more minutes at medium speed.
Bake in an oven, on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Prepare the blackberry coulis:
Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally until thickened, and then remove from the heat and let cool.
Prepare the honey simple syrup (prepare immediately before using):
Sprinkle the gelatin over 15g of the cold water in a small bowl and let rest for five minutes.
Combine the 60g of cold water with the honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and then stir in the gelatin mixture and remove from the heat.
Cool to room temperature before using in the mousse and soaking the sponge cake.
Prepare the honey mousse (prepare immediately before using):
Whip the cream to soft peaks in a large bowl, and then fold in the honey simple syrup.
Prepare the entremet cake:
Cut a layer of sponge cake and also a similarly sized layer of crème brûlée with your mousse/entremet ring (pouring hot water over the ring and wiping it dry before using the ring like a large cookie-cutter will help cut through the semi-frozen crème brûlée). I used an 8’’ round one. Set aside the crème brûlée for a moment, but put the sponge cake in the bottom of the mould. Brush liberally with honey simple syrup, as desired.
Add blackberry coulis and spread uniformly over the cake.
Add half of the honey mousse, then the saffron crème brûlée, and then the other half of the honey mousse. Freeze until firm.
Prepare and apply the white chocolate mirror glaze (prepare immediately before using):
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small bowl and let rest for five minutes.
Next, bring the whipping cream to a simmer. Stir in the gelatin.
Pour the cream-gelatin mixture over the melted white chocolate, in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Add the oil and blend with an immersion blender/stick blender.
Cool to about 90°F (32°C) for optimal glazing (too hot and the cake will melt, too cold and the glaze won't run smoothly).
Remove the entremet from the freezer and pass a flame over the edges of the mousse ring. After the edges of the cake melt slightly, remove the mousse ring. Place the cake on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan.
Pour glaze over the edges of the cake and then the center, until completely covered. If necessary, reuse glaze that drips into the sheet pan. Resist the urge to use a spatula to smooth the glaze as it will simply disturb it.
Place the cake in the fridge to set and defrost, for about 30 minutes, before slicing and serving. It keeps for a few days in the fridge.
Recipe by IronWhisk at http://www.ironwhisk.com/2015/03/blackberry-saffron-and-honey-entremet-cake/